Cleaning greasy bits

Often times people overlook the simple process of cleaning up the engine, drive train, chassis, etc.  Either on their daily driver or project car.  I must admit if not done on a regular basis it can be a dirty and time consuming task.  I can give you several good reasons to get everything cleaned up, and then keep it that way.

1)  Cleaning/detailing, either a single part, or the entire car, familiarizes you with the intricacies.  You will know every nook and cranny. You will know when something has changed, started leaking, been damaged, or gone missing.

2)  Who wants to work on nasty, smelly, greasy stuff?!  Unless you've had some catastrophic leak, most assemblies on a car should be fairly clean.  Have you every had to dig through a bunch of gunk to find that last bolt? Clean fasteners are easier to remove too.

3)  All that buildup traps moisture and dirt/grit.  Moving parts subjected to this gunk will wear prematurely.  Trapped moisture will eat your car from the inside-out. (All those leaves and debris under the cowl and in the inner fenders are natural sponges that will spread cancerous rust VERY quickly if left untreated.  Same goes for all of that mud for you 4x4 folks.)

4)  Do you have a leak?  If yes, what type of fluid is leaking and at what rate?  Keeping everything clean allows leak to noticed and monitored.  Early detection can often save serious time and money.

The task of cleaning up these greasy bit used to involve harsh chemicals and noxious fumes.  I'm here to tell you those days are gone.

Without a doubt Oil-Eater is the best stuff I've ever used in all of my years.  I purchase it from Costco.  It is available from other locations as well.  It's a concentrate that you mix with water. (Hot water works best)  It comes in a gallon jug with a free sprayer.  It is hand/environment friendly. I typically have two spray bottles going.  One with concentrate and one with HOT water for spray rinse. 

I have a solvent tank in my shop and I find myself often times using this stuff in the slop sink with hot water instead. You will be amazed I promise.  Cleans any/everything.  Great on driveways, etc. too.  Its starting to sound like a commercial, but is really does work that well.

Oil-Eater & water can be safely used to clean anything in the engine compartment.  It's more a matter of how you apply and remove it.

I would avoid spraying directly into any electrical connector, relay or other electrical modules, however a cloth damp with the cleaning mixture can be used to wipe clean their external surfaces.

I have a large drip pan I put under the area that I am cleaning.  I remove the major grease/dirt build up with plastic and wood tools/scrapers. (Some people use metallic tools but these can leave marks.)  Next I give the area a good spray of Oil-Eater and let it soak for a few minutes.  If necessary I work the tough spots more with my non-metallic tools.  I then rinse the area with HOT water from another spray bottle.  Again, let the application and removal method match the area/surface you are dealing with.

I then move to smaller and smaller tools as the area gets cleaner.  A parts brush followed by a tooth brush usually. Finish with a clean HOT water rinse.

When you are done you have a perfectly clean surface with no residue.

LAST STEP:  Dispose of the waste properly!  Most trash collection agencies will take containers of waste oil right from your curb.  NO illegal dumping please.